Megliola: Baseball needs to speed up

Baseball is old, and that’s OK. It’s always been a clock-less, no-rush game. But baseball is also slow. That’s become a big problem.

Major League Baseball used to market itself as our National Pastime. But that has been threatened by the passing of time, more specifically, the time it takes to finish a game. The average is three hours and eight minutes this year. MLB is on pace to average the longest games in history.

The reasons are many.

Start with the age-old pitcher-batter confrontation. If the pitcher doesn’t throw the ball within a nanosecond of receiving it, the batter calls “Time!” and steps out of the batter’s box, taps his spikes with the bat, inspects the bat like he’d never held one before and scratches himself in a place no self-respecting person would scratch in public.

That’s a problem. So is this. Catchers journeying to the mound to confer with the pitcher. Red Sox catchers Sandy Leon and Christian Vasquez are two of the biggest offenders. Sometimes there are two or three of these visits during one at bat. It’s maddening. It just lengthens the time of game without a shred of action

Why don’t the pitcher and catcher just text? All these meeting on the mound, makes you wonder if some pitchers – like the slow-working Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz - get paid by the hour, and some catchers by the mile.

So, new rule next year: allow one text per inning between pitcher and catcher. Whadda think?

Oh, and pitching coaches. Why do they have to call time out and walk to the mound to ask the pitcher if he’s running out of gas? Can’t the coach just yell from the dugout “Ya tired, Moose? The ol’ arm OK?”

MLB has been yapping for years about putting pitchers on the clock. Speed the game up. Don’t just stand there when everyone on the field, the fans in the stands or watching on TV are waiting for something to happen, even a weak ground ball to second base. Anything. Keep the line moving.

This past week the Red Sox played three consecutive night games that lasted more than four hours. Sure, the last two went into extra innings. But you get the point. Baseball games aren’t meant to start at sunset and end at sunrise.

They’ve got to speed these games up, although I have a sneakin’ suspicion that it matters not at all to the players if the game lasts 3:19 or 3:41. They can always sleep in.

Here’s another problem. Home runs. I know, I know, home runs have always been a baseball delicacy. No doubt. They’re being clouted at a record pace this season. Fine. But here’s my gripe. The batters - and I mean you Hanley Ramirez - who trot around the bases like they’re headed for the electric chair instead of a happy dugout.

It’s like step 1 … slow down. Step 2 slow down more and so forth. It takes about 360 steps to round the bases. It shouldn’t take half a day.

Video replays. It was much more interesting when umpires and managers went nose-to-nose in full anger, spit flying, fans screaming. The manager kicks dirt on the ump’s shins, gets the heave-ho and pays a fine gladly. Now that’s entertainment! Time well wasted.

The full count. Make three balls a walk and two strikes an out. Foul balls. If a batter hits more than four, he’s out. Probably can’t hit this pitcher anyway.

Kids like going to a big-league game. Fenway Franks, soda, cotton candy and a chance of getting an autograph or a foul ball, but it’s not translating to the kids’ interest in playing the sport. The lacrosse revolution is upon us. Kids dig it. It’s fast-paced, exciting. Much more goals scored than runs in baseball..

Baseball needs to speed things up to stockpile future fans. It’s not the only spring/summer game anymore.

It starts at the top. MLB has to show the way. The suits must get the lead out of their pants. A game played in under three hours shouldn’t be an anomaly.